Bundle of energy champions the community

Marjorie Hack/Staten Island AdvanceDr. Allan Perel with his wife, Susan, a social worker.NEW DORPYou might think that somebody who swims in the waters off South Beach from April through October has a couple of screws loose, but Dr. Allan Perel would tell you that its activities like this, that give him the vitality, clear head and stamina to treat over 6,000 chronically ill patients a year.

Degrees and titles are important when choosing a physician. Dr. Perel, a neurologist, has plenty of those. He set up Staten Islands first center devoted to multiple sclerosis about 20 years ago and has grown it into the 30th largest in the country. He established two stroke units at Staten Island University Hospital and is chief of neurology at Richmond University Medical Center. He is past president of the Richmond County Medical Society and medical director of the American Parkinson Disease Association, the only national medical advocacy group based on Staten Island.

But being a top-notch doctor demands more than a big-wig resume and delivering appropriate clinical care. It requires the ability to see the patient as a person and that person as part of the larger community. When it comes to understanding that, Perel is as tightly wound as they come.

Although he grew up in the Brighton Beach section of Brooklyn, he fell in love with Staten Island when he did his internship at Staten Island University Hospital over 25 years ago. Theres something about the community here, he said, the way people interact on Staten Island. Its the biggest small community you can imagine.

A graduate of Downstate Medical College, Perel went on to complete his residency at Columbia Presybterian Hospital in Manhattan, but was happy to be recruited back to Staten Island to set up his practice.

Neurology, a specialty that focuses on disorders of the nervous system, which is, in large part, controlled by the brain, appealed to Perel back in medical school. As he described it, your brain is your soul.

While you can replace a kidney, a lung or a heart, you cant transplant whats in your brain, he said.

Put another way, former President Bill Clinton may have issues with his heart but few people looking at him would know hes had a quadruple bypass and just recently two stents inserted. Popular entertainer Dick Clark, on the other hand, longtime host of TVs American Bandstand and a fixture on New Years Eve as the ball drops at Times Square, has everyone cringing as he tries to eke out a few words to mark the moment just before midnight. Thats because he suffered what was considered a relatively mild stroke in late 2004 but it impacted the part of his brain that controls speech.

Perel deals primarily with patients who have currently noncurable conditions like multiple sclerosis, Parkinsons disease, Alzheimers disease and victims of stroke.

The specialty suits him well, said his wife, Susan, a social worker who Perel met when she was working at Staten Island University Hospital as director of in-patient psychiatry. Hes like a detective. Hes very analytical and can figure stuff out.

Mrs. Perel said that its not unusual for her husband to have an A-ha! moment days after seeing a patient, after hes figured out a solution to a particular problem. We say We can smell the wood burning, when this happens, she said.

Their family life is a microcosm of the community at large. Mrs. Perel works with her husband and runs the multiple sclerosis center. The doctors mother, Naomi, a retired guidance councilor from Madison High School, is on call from Brooklyn to help out in the office, as needed.

The couple has three children — Harrison, 13, a student at the Hungerford School in Clifton, and 10-year-old twins, Jacqueline and Evan, who attend the Jewish Foundation School in Graniteville. They live on Todt Hill.

While the children dont work in the office, they do ride bikes, walk and swim in South Beach with their parents on a regular basis. The family also belongs to the Jewish Community Center in Sea View where paddleball, basketball and swimming are among their regular activities.

Susan and Allan serve as recording and corresponding secretaries of the Hungerford Schools PTA, and Susan is treasurer of the JCC.

With so many accomplishments under his belt and responsibilities on his plate, it might be easy to think of Perel as someone to be in awe of.

No need. Hes as grounded as the rest of us — a meat-and-potatoes kind of guy, who pushes a cart through the aisles of a grocery store and will stop to chat with patients, just like your next-door neighbor.

He likes a good roast chicken; his wife favors hearty soups and stews; the kids appreciate spaghetti and meatballs or deli from Goldens.

I never regret not staying in Manhattan, said Perel, who says the practice of medicine in that borough is much colder and sterile.

In fact, the Perels are most proud of their ability to blend into the crowd here and help the community.

Its a tremendous honor for us, said Mrs. Perel. Hes so proud to be this person in this office.

Perel admits that some things need to be changed in the way healthcare is managed nationally, but radical change is too much right now. It is the best system by far in the world, even with its faults, he maintains.

Dr. Perels practice is called Alpha Neurology. It is located at 27 New Dorp Lane, in what was a former church. Office hours are by appointment; call 718-667-3800, or visit www.alphaneurology.com.

Marjorie Hack is an assistant managing editor at the Advance and editor of the Shores sections. She can be reached at hack@siadvance.com. The interviews were facilitated by the Richmond County Medical Society.

Words to live byDr. Perel offers three tips for staying fit and healthy for as long as possible.

ExerciseDr. Perel plays paddleball, tennis or basketball almost every day. His wife loves to walk and swim.

Practice good nutrition

Stay mentally activeStudies have shown that the best way to stay sharp — physically and mentally — is to learn a new dance. But the more crossword puzzles you do, the more Ken Ken grids you can complete, the more neurons you sprout. And that’s a very good thing. “Watching TV is not an active mental sport,” said Perel.